Apr 16 2013:
Dear Chris,
In my humble opinion, you appear to be a smart, likable, hip, and very cool person, who brings up a good point:>)

I think/feel a lot of times, people want to share opinions to "prove" something to others. The challenge with that idea, often, is that opinions are subjective. Sometimes, the act of trying to "prove" something, becomes confrontational, because many times we cannot "prove" something that is subjective, and the other person may be wanting to "prove" their subjective idea as well. See what I mean?

If a person gets lost in the idea of "proving" his/her subjective idea, the conversation simply goes around in circles. I think/feel it is important to recognize that our opinions, are not always shared by everyone, and to try to force that opinion onto others to appear to be smarter, does not always create the situation where strongly opinionated people are thought of as likable or cool.....what do you think about that?

Apr 14 2013:
do you "know" how to swim? tie your shoes? read? is mathematics an opinion? you know more than you know... 8) opinions should be formed on a as-needed basis, as being overly opinionated is counter-productive to healthy communication. just my opinion...

Apr 18 2013:
No, I do not know how to tie my shoes without a doubt neither do I know mathemathics will always work under any circumstances and neither do you!

Because in maybe two thousand, maybe 50Billion years you will learn that mathematics only work in four Dimensions or I DON'T KNOW! ^^
On another hand a mathemacian from some while ago might have made a mistake which has been adopted to the mathematic laws, because noone found it, because it occurs only under very special conditions, so it never happened yet, so math is as wrong as it is right for all I know. All the more important it is that you form your opinions on matter as precautionous as possible.

Apr 25 2013:
Naah.. Mathematics and shoe tying techniques are not opinions (in my opinion). But you can have a strong opinion about mathematics or certain shoelace tying techniques. Opinion is tied with a personal appreciation,it's about your feelings.

Opinions are not about the definition of the object (the car is red, 3m long, 4 wheels) it's about your subjective appreciation of the object (it's f**kin ugly, people who drive that kind of car are jerks, etc...).

Mar 30 2013:
I don't think we can, practically speaking, have an opinion on everything, as we are limited in our ability to gather and process information. Many will choose to have well-considered opinions in fewer areas rather than weakly informed and considered decisions in a very large number.

Beyond this, I don't think we should feel an imperative to express our opinions on every matter where we may have them.

I think that whenever we come across a new information. (We read a headline, see a advertisement, meet a new person) we kind of subconsciously make up a first opinion. We compare this new piece of information with the things we learned and experimented in the past and I feel like our brain automatically categorizes this information in order to store it and remember it.

Then there is the opinion, more in the sense of belief. This is built slowly over time, it can evolve and mature (if we let it evolve and mature...) I feel this difference is important because too often, we hear something on a topic we never truly studied and immediately we turn our first opinion into a strong unfounded belief and we are already trying to shove it down some other guy's throat. And I'm mostly saying this as a reminder to myself here. Maybe it's the backside of the coin with freedom of speech and democracy; we all ended up having a very high opinion of our own opinions. Is a search on google and wikipedia enough to build an educated opinion on a subject? I don't think so.

So back to your question: Do we have an opinion about everything? Yes a first opinion is automatically created in order to label and store information. I don't have scientific proof of this, but I feel that's how my brain works, my memories are very often bound to their appreciation somehow. Should we have an opinion about everything? Yes! But we should be ready to let this opinion evolve and make it mature as we learn about the opinions of others.

Apr 18 2013:
Interesting! Yesterday, I saw a 'conversation' happening on Facebook. Someone gave an opinion, which rubbed someone else the wrong way and felt attacked. Within minutes, a social-media brawl was going on!

An opinion does say everything about our identity, and so it should! An opinion is personal, it's the way we express our thoughts and feelings towards anyone and anything! But, someone who is 'opinionated' is "conceitedly assertive and dogmatic in one's opinions" according to the dictionary, a very negative and destructive description, if you ask me.

An opinion can be so quickly misinterpreted, when there should be nothing wrong with voicing how we feel. An opinion is never an attack, although it is too often perceived as one.

Apr 14 2013:
There's no rule about having opinions. It's not that we should, nor that we should not, have opinions. I guess, opinions are created as a response to something that stimulates one's mind. I think 'Interest' is perhaps the most basic cause which creates opinion. If one does not have interest in something, I don't see how one can have opinion in that thing. Other weaker cause might be when somebody asks you for your opinion about something which might not interest you so much. But if the asker is close enough to you or his//her question creates some stimulation in your mind, then you might make some efforts and start thinking about that not interesting//unfamiliar issue and then create some opinion.

The other question you ask -- "On what level of consciousness are opinions formed?" -- is a terrific question.

I think there's always sub-conscious elements or processes which affect our final opinion. What changes each particular case of creating an opinion I guess is the mutual balance between the conscious and sub-conscious elements. This balance is influenced among others by the issue discussed, our personality, mood, level of our knowledge about that particular issue, level of our self-awareness, level of our mind's lucidity and so on.

I think there are quite a few talks at TED which touch this question from various directions, although they do not necessarily claim directly doing so.

Apr 8 2013:
Do we have an opinion about everything?
No,
but it should be as easy as possible for us to get an informed opinion about anything.

As for how oppinions are formed:
It depends... you can form an opnion actively/explicitly. In such a case it is very conscious, and probably accompanied by searching behavior and attention towards things that relate with the topic of choice

If you are asked about an opinion that you actually never thought about, you make a quick assesment of it in your brain (which will be very vulnarable to priming), and come up with an opinion that seems in line of your way of thinking.

And often such opinions are formed implicitly, according to your environment (enculuration, socialisation), and probably according to our biological predisposisions (e.g.: we humans tend to avoid incest, and that has some clear biological roots)

I know this answer is too short, but I guess you can find ways to inform yourself ;-)

Nice topic. :-) I think that we are all unique beings and that's why our feelings, lives and thoughts are so different. That's the way it should be. I believe in people making the difference and expressing themselves, but properly and with respect.

Many people confuse the term "opinionated" with "complainer" or "critic". I believe we are all entitled to our ideas and opinions and sharing them with the world, but always respecting each other's beliefs and ways of thinking. As long as there's tolerance and respect, opinions should be encouraged. As you said in your introduction: it's how we make our identity.

Apr 3 2013:
As I grow older there are less and less stuff I have strong opinions about and in most cases I tend to keep them to myself. There are very few things (like racial and gender equality) only which I would fight for pretty hard... Most of the things are super-complicated so it is not so good to have strong opinions about them.

Thanks for the contribution.
I agree that certain topics will have priority over others in our lives, thus our opinions are likely to follow the same order.

Here's a question for you... As you said that "most of the things are super-complicated so its not so good to have strong opinions about them" would that suggest IF you had a greater understanding of the topic you should have an opinion, or can you sit on the fence still with no opinion even though you have great understanding?

Mar 29 2013:
Theres plenty of stuff, more than not, that's over my head here at TED that I would never consider an opinion on, let alone, comment on. Although all who are informed are not opinionated, all opinions should be at the least, somewhat informed.

Comment deleted

I am saddened to hear TED deletes your comments. I guess that would suggest that even if all of us do have opinions, some are perhaps not welcomed and/or even necessary, in the eyes of others. Ironically, this in itself is a catalyst for opinions!

I can say that my needs are met by each post, and yours was a fine one indeed. If I may take you up on your last sentence and ask... where you "make a choice" is 1. where you decide to voice an opinion because you feel strongly about the topic, or 2. is it the choosing of the conversation because you discretely have an opinion on this topic?

Mar 29 2013:
There is much more to be understood and discovered by enquiring deeply and seriously into the opinions of Others......The world is filled to the brim with opinions and beliefs that only Scratch the Surface of any attainable truth.......The shallowness of examination is not hard to see in this world.

Apr 29 2013:
opinions are just experiences condensed unto the limit of expressing them in words.

if i have an opinion about someone - long hairs, cute chin, cat eyes - i have something in my memory to compare them with.

if i have opinions about country and its politics, it is again from my memory of the government's contribution and negligence.

opinions are not formed. it is more of a phenomenon to have an opinion. it is resultant of past experiences.

now to try and form opinions about your questions:

What is it that makes us form an opinion? the desire to express. until it is expressed, an opinion is just a point of view. when that point comes in public, it is called an opinion.

Is it something we do through choice? yes. we choose to provide opinions for various reasons.

On what level of consciousness are opinions formed? in the conscious level. subconscious and super conscious have no use of your opinions. subconscious brain learns through habit and super conscious brain is just energy. so forming views and expressing them as opinions is a purely conscious process.

Perhaps its the sharing with others that makes us opinionated? absolutely. an opinion comes into existance when it is shared with others. within the limits of our mind, that view is called many things. but when expressed witht he intent to make heard, it becomes opinion.

How we make our identity? this is a pretty much different question. identity is subject to identification with he surroundings, people around, associating, forming clusters of social units, etc. an identity is more of a definition of a person in social terms. after the identity formation is complete, one may start expressing opinions from past experience or points of views.

I don’t think we have to have an opinion about everything! What’s an opinion anyway? Accumulated knowledge or thoughts throughout a lifetime? Right or wrong thoughts? Which thought is considered right or wrong? How is an opinion created or adapted?

Lets look at religions for example: Many groups believe in something they consider the truth and live it. A very simple question that comes up here is: Which belief is a true belief? They could all be untrue! Still millions of humans put their faith in something they consider the truth without knowing if it is!

Our minds take all bits of information, true or false, and twist thoughts around them all the time. This could be considered insane! How important is all the stuff we know? What’s worth knowing and what’s just junk? How do we find out what we believe wasn't just given to us and is actually true? Any thought could be considered right and wrong from different viewpoints. I’ve read this next part a while ago and it seems to fit in here:

The sun is rising every morning, which is true from one point of view, but someone could also say the sun never sets nor rises, which is also true, if you are in space above earth. This brings up the question: How credible is any thought, belief or opinion in it’s origin?

Any belief can quickly turn into a dogma, law or regulation, but it can also disappear as quickly once a new level of understanding is reached! This shows the impermanent nature of a belief. So how do we know that any belief or opinion is more true than another? I have a feeling that there’s something that is more important than a belief or an opinion. This something might be the awareness in each and everyone that enables us to believe in something, the consciousness that is there before any thought. However, i "believe" it is “good” to believe in something even if it’s an untrue belief, because how else could we come to realize it’s falsity!?
All the best

Apr 27 2013:
opinions are created from the level of light you have obtained in this life. also the people who are present in the conversation will effect your opionion. because you love the people around you and if you speak from your heart what ever you do say will have things that the other person might be able to use in some way. we are all connected

Apr 23 2013:
"Really though, there are just too many issues out there to have opinions on everything. I only have so much brainspace!." On the contrary, I would say that your brain can store as much or as little as it chooses.

When someone says anything you will have drawn an opinion from numerous things. What they said, how they said it, how they were standing when they said it, what their voice was like when they said it. Your opinion is yours, you have it, you draw it. Sometimes its just a case of picking the right time and moment to express it. Social etiquette dictates that more than anything. How you choose to act on that social etiquette defines you as a person I suppose but that might be a completely different question. I agree with Michael on this, more than anything. If more people were encouraged to speak their mind freely and not fear social downfall then I think people everywhere would be leading healthier, more stimulating lives. But then more social etiquette comes in to play. Apparent arrogance, the viability of sources, who said what and why...

Apr 24 2013:
I get what you're saying. If I receive new information on a topic, I MUST make a decision about what to do with that info, and the metadata on context and situation. Even if I decide that it is not relevant to me, or I am not relevant to the topic, that is still my formulated opinion.

Apr 24 2013:
Marvellous. However, unless I'm interpreting it wrong, I would have thought that MUST would not be the right word. Must leads me to think that there is a choice and that absorbing the information and processing it is a choice. I would have thought that it's just 'something' that happens. But yes, I would've thought that you're very right. Edit: Especially in the case of someone speaking to you. It would be like trying to 'unhear' music.

Apr 24 2013:
Hi Henry and Kevin,
I enjoyed reading your comments, and was especially struck by your comment, Henry, that not processing information while someone speaking to you is like 'unhearing' music. How right on that is! Music and speech evolved almost simultaneously, music is a form of communication that touches our intuition and emotion, where I like to think our opinions also originate.

Apr 20 2013:
I do believe everyone has got an opinion on almost everything. even if its a mere thought or the travel of mind on what the thing could be.
but, Ive faced a problem concerning this idea. its not always easy to speak up your mind, sometimes you just feel as if the room is there to attack you as soon as the idea is out. especially when its not in the fields of your expertise.
Words are dangerous, they could give off the best idea about your identity or do the complete opposite

Apr 20 2013:
The more I think of this, the more I am forced to share my opinion, *grins*.

We should all start a new campaign towards everyone we meet, a campaign to encourage everyone to speak their minds no matter what it is, it's important since it's from each and every one of you.

Opinions are the reason we have many forms of technology available, it's the reason we are a work in process civilized society, it's why we have innovation. Since without people freely sharing their minds we wouldn't have the variety of ideas that help evolve already existing ones. Think back to certain eras of history for that one.

Apr 16 2013:
Having opinions is characteristic of the thought process from the most sophisticated to the most superficial among us. The more open minded are likely the student types whom are encouraged to be open to learning by parent(s), or teachers, or other important influences and contacts.

Adult life is full of decisions involving opinion driven situations. It is part of the aging and maturing process.

Although each of us are expected and naturally tend to form opinions due to family influence, peer pressure, schooling, life experiences, etc., that fact does not need to preclude our individual ability to rethink any given opinion we may hold, no matter how strong.

Perhaps this is the true beauty of living in a more free and open society.

Apr 16 2013:
I would say "No, we don't have to". Personally I give opinions that I have certain knowledge about. If I am unsure, I'd prefer to stay with the "no opinion" mode. I also think sometimes the relevancy between "assumption" and "opinion". Because somebody tends to give opinion when they are not fully acknowledged about some specific topic, is it just an assumption or should it be considered as an opinion?

Apr 15 2013:
I only make opions on things (I think) I know about.
You shouldn't have an opinion if you don't know what you are talking about, I mean do I have an opinion on string theory?
No, because I don't understand it.
I feel that you should only voice an opinion if you "think" you have something worthwhile saying!
Yet I must admit, I do have a habit on commenting everything which intrigues me! :)
" On what level of consciousness are opinions formed". I would say opinions are mostly unconscious, yet this is just a pure hypothesis!
Yet you must be willing to admit your wrong. (If you are!)

Apr 15 2013:
Bernard,
You and Thomas ask...."On what level of consciousness are opinions formed".?

Why would opinions be "unconscious" Bernard? Perhaps if the person is living a life unconsciously?

I suggest opinions are formed depending on how much information we are willing to consider from several levels of consciousness. The more mindfully aware we are, the more information we assimilate on different levels.....make any sense?

Apr 15 2013:
Very simply because I don't believe as much free-will as we like to think!
And the fact that so many things influence our decisions, which are out of awareness. I mean take the Stanley Millgram experiment (the obedience one!) if you did one set of conditions everybody would rebel, if you did another set of conditions (almost) everybody would be 100% obedient.
So in that sense I am not sure I am in full control over my own opinions!
"I suggest opinions are formed depending on how much information we are willing to consider from several levels of consciousness."
That is another factor, how much information you have! And how you percieve that information, I mean how people can view the same event different ways. And you can usually find out why, with enough back ground information about them.
"The more mindfully aware we are, the more information we assimilate on different levels.....make any sense?"
I do agree. It's just I think we are thinking about this from two very different perspectives! You are thinking (I think! Correct me if I am wrong) that with more information, and an open mind you are more likley to choose opinions, which will be your own choice. And I am saying that you could determine all this if you knew what stimuli formed this opinion! Hope this makes sense as well!
Kind regards,
Bernard

And that is a good philosophical point you made: if our judgement is based on Universal Truth, is it still subjective opinion?

My opinion is no, it did not come from us but was somehow revealed and given to us. So it remains Truth if it is preserved and communicated without modification. Like good copyrighters, we must then always be careful to state the source of our comments so that there is no confusion between preserved/revealed Universal Truth and changing subjective personal opinion. I will try to practice that. :-)

This goal be about to appear at 15 . For getting a high score at my cours , i must be good at answer the subjective items and that , which need you can think of all the angles . In chinese text ,this skill is totally essential .

Eg : What the reason western powers start the First Opium War ?( not offence)

There is two leading part need thinking : subjective & Objective .

And then is the three specific clues like : Politics , Economy , Culture and Military

Then use the specific clues to analyse the leading part respectively.

The answer is :

1. Because the The industrial revolution ,west power need A lot of raw materials .
2. We were at late Qing Dynasty, national power decline .
3.Western countries have finished the Regime changing.
4. The political situation of late Qing Dynasty is unstable .
5.West power has advanced science and technology .
6.The policy —— Seclusion .

I wanna say ,a process of our mind is vital .And we must confirm the aspect we need thinking before we say the concrete content . We need a frame ,but do not be fasten . We need novel perspective but we should enumerate the fundamental viewpoint and then stand on your stage state your argument.

The perspective should be our tool not be the aim . We should use the perspective complete our viewpoint .

Apr 8 2013:
Thinking about what you wrote, I began to think that the human mind cannot generate facts from itself... only opinions. Anything that is fact must be universaly accepted as such... meaning it needs no human to enforce its acceptance. The Truth always is. Everything else is opinion.

So it seems that we can only create subjective opinions and not objective facts - even if you feel sick that is an opinion as the man whose opinion is that he is well gets well while the man whose opinion is of sickness remains sick. Our existence is all relative, it seems.

Apr 7 2013:
Whenever I hear people consider the value of opinions I remember the late 80's and the pedestrian rhetoric about HIV and how it was only transmitted between homosexuals and i.v. drug users (along with a slew of other social myths). While not false not really true either.

We all form opinions for different reasons. Some are struggling to convince themselves that they have a good grasp of their environment, others are trying to relate to their peers. When people take the time to formally present their opinions we begin identifying them as facts. Again, while not accurate I suppose one has to start somewhere.

To the pedestrian developing an opinion about the risks of contracting a disease is almost more a matter of affirming their station in life, qualifying their sense of uprightness, than it is a practical method of reasoning. However to the tactician an opinion is barely an intuition. It's taking an instance of minimal evidence and using it as a temporary premise, a veritable bookmark for a better idea that's waiting to be run through the wringer of severe scrutiny. Of course there are the many instance of opinion as conversation piece but that's very different from the psychological event.

For practical purposes opinions are a dream, a fantasy that makes things seem convenient and accessible. As to the level of consciousness that they occur on; that's extremely complex. Consider that they are both reaction and catalyst, buffer and advocate.

This general inquiry has been thoroughly studied from a different approach but began: A) at a time of very high illiteracy and with extremely scarce methods of communication, B) competition for developing psychology as a therapeutic practice was being heavily leveraged in favor of kinda crazy people, and C) very complex.

Informal opinions as a social function and a shared device, both communal and communicable, is a reasonable consideration but by no means the root of the propensity.

Surely we should ask ‘Is it an INFORMED opinion’ or ‘Is it an UNINFORMED opinion’ in order to place a degree of value on that opinion?

Let’s face it, we all have a point-of-view on millions of things we know absolutely nothing about. But if we’re honest, those opinions are, at best worthless, and at worst prejudiced. And yet if we’ve done our homework, researched our subject and looked at the facts, our opinions have validity.

That said, I have an opinion about the colour 'reflex blue' that is neither informed or uninformed, just based on my experience of it. I just dislike it, it's garish. I'm rambling.... :)

Apr 2 2013:
A person is not an issue, an event, a situation or a proposition. Opinions are, IMO, just not applicable about persons. One can have opinion about their actions, beliefs, positions, but not about the person.
I am completely unable to judge persons as just persons and unable to form opinion about them. I may like or dislike them and then may change my mind later, but will continue to believe he/she has every right to be himself/herself.
Thanks that you asked. :)

Apr 11 2013:
Hi Casey....nice to see you again:>)
I realize your question is for Pabitra, and I would like to share my perspective, if you don't mind. Hopefully, Pabitra will pop in as well:>)

Pabitra mentions "to judge persons", in his comment, so I perceive him saying that with an opinion (judgment) about a person, he seperates the person from the behavior. People often tend to label another person a "bad" person because s/he may have a behavior(s) that is not as usefull to him/herself or to humanity.

With the ability to seperate the person from the behavior, we can perceive the behavior as not good, and we can recognize other qualities of the person. It changes our perception of the person, when we can observe the whole picture.

My father, for example, was violent and abusive....not a good or beneficial behavior. He also was a hard worker, financially responsible for 8 kids, did some charity work, etc. My mother always used to say...love the man...hate the behavior. From the time I was a wee little lass, I learned to seperate behavior from the person. As an adult, while volunteering with men who were incarcerated, I certainly recognized their behaviors that were detrimental to society and to themselves. AND I also observed that they had skills and talents, which I focused on.

If people with less useful behaviors can realize that they may have something useful to build on, share, and offer to society, they sometimes gravitate to that and stop the less usefull (bad) behaviors. If people can realize that they can be a more useful and respected member of society, it contributes to their self esteem, which is often lacking.

How does responsibility and accountability play into this?
The person him/herself can recognize the behavior and decide to change....or not. We can still ask a person to be responsible and accountable for his/her behavior, without the dynamic of labeling him/her a "bad" person. Make any sense?

Apr 3 2013:
I do Colleen. Do you think we have opinions about babies? Or someone at deathbed? Every individual is unique and cannot be judged for their innate selves. A criminal is punished for his crime which we treat as separate from him. His rights as human being are not withdrawn in jails. I am absolutely against capital punishment and see it as a failure on the part of our societies to help correct some seriously dysfunctional minds of people.
Btw, did I ever tell you that your smiling face is so nice a thing to start a day? Sumana readily agreed :)

Apr 3 2013:
Dear Pabitra,
I have an opinion about babies....they are ALL cute and cuddly, honest, trusting, curious and unconditionally loving. What's your opinion about babies?

I have spent time with several people who were actively dying. I observe that people often die as they live. If they lived life with joy and acceptance, they tend to be that way with the dying process as well. If people have lived life with frustration, struggle and complaint, that is how they are at the time of death.....in my humble observation.

I have also worked with incarcerated offenders, and I see them as hurting children....adults with unresolved issues which often started in childhood.

BTW
You have mentioned my smile on occasion:>) Hello to Sumana:>)

Did I ever tell you that while I was unconscious in ICU, kept alive with life support systems, after the emergency craniotomy to put my head back together (sounds like humpty dumpty!!!), I'm told I was smiling and giving visitors a thumbs up? I guess I will die as I have lived....that is my personal opinion:>)

Apr 4 2013:
As long as I have not seen or met, babies are pleasures - soft bundles of joy. But that's hardly an opinion about a baby. When seen, taken on lap or held in hands babies can be all those things you described or little devils who can put fingers in your eyes, shriek and startle you, cry like heaven fallen down or just wet your clothes. I seldom dislike babies but not overjoyed always either. These are emotions - not opinions my friend.
The moment we attach an unreasoning emotional part of our mind with something, and it happens so easily with persons, we cannot have opinions on them.
Yes you did tell me about your thumbs up :) I am so fond of you :D

Apr 5 2013:
Pabitra,
Perhaps babies are simply exploring when they put fingers in our eyes, talking when they "shriek" (this is their language when they are babies), and when they "wet your clothes", they are just doing what babies do....they don't know how to use the pottie yet!
So, I don't perceive them as "little devils".

You say..."The moment we attach an unreasoning emotional part of our mind with something, and it happens so easily with persons, we cannot have opinions on them."

You do not believe emotion is part of opinion? I don't agree with this, because I perceive everything to be interconnected, including our processes of thinking and feeling. I don't see how emotion ('the effective aspect of consciousness; state of feeling"....from dictionary) can be seperate from opinion.

You speak of "unreasoning emotional part". I perceive that reason/ logic/feeling/emotion can work all together. Yes? No? Maybe? It is just my simple perception and practice:>)

Apr 11 2013:
@Casey: A person is responsible and accountable for his/her actions (which includes behavior of course). We can have opinion about those actions but not the person. However, the person has to be adult and sane in mind for forming opinions.
When the action borders on the criminal or adjudged criminal (under a fair trial), the person is sentenced for punishment. Unless it is capital punishment, which I am dead against, there is always hope for completing the punishment and the person becomes even with the civil society.
I do not subscribe to the idea of 'sin' or 'eternal damnation' because I am not affiliated to any religious belief. I think a person can make a mistake, even a grave mistake, but there is always hope of correction and further life.
A person is accountable and responsible by the standards of society; law, ethics or morality, and these are not absolute so they cannot be intrinsic to a person.
Most importantly, I need to forgive persons and that urge is not so much selfless - I think it is personally necessary for me forgive persons whose actions harmed others. If I form an opinion about a person that becomes difficult. On the other hand, persons whose actions greatly benefited others, though laudable, are nothing special to me. They have just repayed the society that nurtured him/her.

Thank you for your both thoughtful responses! I believe I have a much better understanding, respect, and appreciation for idea of "separating person from the behavior." And I even think you have made me realize that my own opinions of "separating person from the behavior" are similar to you, Pabitra, and Colleen.

"I think a person can make a mistake, even a grave mistake, but there is always hope of correction and further life." > I am living proof!

Colleen, you and your stories never cease to amaze me. And the more I read of your comments Pabitra, the more I think I will be amazed of you.

Mar 29 2013:
I think an opinion emerges from a mix of informations, feelings and memories because of a may be even unknown brain's function designand / or evolved for survival, long time ago. At present, human being uses this function for socialize and realte with other people; for letting them know how he/she feels or what would like to be known for. If we'd not be social beings, we'd not feel the need to inform others about us or our thoughts.
It's not essential to have an opinion about everything, but it's very important to be able of having it when needed.
Greets.

Mar 29 2013:
Hi Sean:>)
I agree that opinions form with a mix of information, including thoughts, feelings, experiences, and memories, as well as what information we choose to see, hear and embrace in every moment of our lives. I also agree that it is not essential to have an opinion about everything, and it's important to be able to have one when needed. For me, it is important to be clear about the information that helps form the opinions.

It is a choice, and opinions can be formed on many different levels, perhaps dependant on the importance of the information and opinion we are considering? Awareness may prioritize our opinions, and contributes to our clarity regarding how, when, where, and with whom we share our opinions.

Opinions, if strong enough CAN form the whole identity of a person, or at least that may be how it appears at times.

Mar 30 2013:
Hi, Colleen. I agree with you. The second paragraph of your statement seems to me very interesant. And about the third one, I also agree; I'll add one more thing, very similar to what you've written: sometimes to have an opinion may oblige oneself to be coherent and correct. Because, sometimes, people'll know us only through our opinions, and I think they are like little pieces of us that we offer to others for knowing or getting into touch one with others.